ECAC West
ECAC West was a league in NCAA Men's Division III and Women's Division III. The men's conference was essentially folded into the United Collegiate Hockey Conference men's conference which was announced in early October 2016 when the conference was formed from all of the membership of the men's conference. Later in October three of the league members then announced they were going to be part of the newly formed Middle Atlantic Conferences which is also slated to start play with the 2017-18 season. Lebanon Valley, Manhattanville, and Stevenson are all scheduled to join that new conference. The formation of the conference decimated the women's conference taking in all but the State University of New York Athletic Conference members. On June 15, 2017 it was announced that the five remaining members of the women's conference would form the Northeast Women's Hockey League for the 2017-18 season Final Men's Membership Final Women's Membership In 2005, the RIT men's team left the ECAC West to become a Men's Division I program (now in Atlantic Hockey); the RIT women's team joined from the ECAC East in 2007. The Oswego Lakers women's team was created in 2006. The Potsdam Bears women's team was created in 2008. In 2010, the Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen, which had joined the men's ECAC West in 2006, announced that they would move their ice hockey program from the NCAA to the ACHA. In 2011, the Nazareth Golden Flyers announced they would start a men's hockey program starting in 2012, and they have applied to join the ECAC West and were accepted for the 2012-13 season. Early in 2015 the men's conference announced the addition of the Stevenson Mustangs and the return of the Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen for the 2016-17 season. The conference would thus become eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, possilby as early as 2017-18. The Stevenson women's team had played as an independent until joining the Colonial Hockey Conference for the 2015-16 season. Lebanon Valley is adding women's ice hockey for the 2016-17 season. As of the announcement no conference afffiliation was announced for the women's team. The Women's conference was formed for the 2001-02 season. Men's Conference Seasons The 1986-87 National Championship won by the Plattsburgh Cardinals was later vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions Men's Conference Timeline *Canisius Golden Griffins (1985-1998) join Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference *Elmira Soaring Eagles (1985-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference *Hamilton Continentals (1985-1992) join ECAC East *Hobart Statesmen (1985-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference, then withdrew to join New England Hockey Conference *RIT Tigers (1985-2005) become a Division I Independent; then join Atlantic Hockey for 2006-07 *Brockport Golden Eagles (1985-1992) join SUNYAC *Buffalo Bulls (1985-1987) program ended *Cortland Red Dragons (1985-1992) join SUNYAC *Geneseo Ice Knights (1985-1992) join SUNYAC *Oswego Great Lakers (1985-1992) join SUNYAC *Plattsburgh Cardinals (1985-1992) join SUNYAC *Potsdam Bears (1985-1992) join SUNYAC *Union Dutchmen (1985-1991) join Division I ECAC Hockey *St. Bonaventure Bonnies (1986-1993) program ended *Binghamton Colonials (1987-1992) program ended *Fredonia Blue Devils (1987-1992) join SUNYAC *Mercyhurst Lakers (1988-1999) join Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference *Scranton Royals (1991-1994) program ended *Niagara Purple Eagles (1996-1998) become a Division I Independent; then join College Hockey America for 1999-00 *Manhattanville Valiants (1996-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference *Neumann Knights (2001-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference *Utica Pioneers (2001-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference *Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen (2004-2010) program ended; restarted for 2016-17 *Nazareth Golden Flyers (2012-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference *Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen (2016-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference *Stevenson Mustangs (2016-2017) join United Collegiate Hockey Conference Women's Conference Seasons Timeline * 2001 The conference is formed with the existing Division III Independent teams of Buffalo State Bengals and Cortland Red Dragons and the following new programs Elmira Soaring Eagles, Neumann Knights, Plattsburgh Cardinals, and Utica Pioneers * 2002 Chatham Cougars join the conference after playing as a Division III Independent from 1998 to 2001 * 2006 Oswego Great Lakers join the conference as a new program * 2007 The RIT Tigers join the conference from the ECAC East * 2008 Potsdam Bears join the conference as a new program * 2012 The RIT Tigers leave the conference when they join Division I's College Hockey America * 2014 The William Smith Herons join the conference as a new program * 2017 The Chatham Cougars, Elmira Soaring Eagles, Neumann Knights, Utica Pioneers, and William Smith Herons leave the conference for the newly form United Collegiate Hockey Conference. The Hobart Statesmen later announce that they are withdrawing from the UCHC and joining the New England Hockey Conference for the 2017-18 season. The remaining five teams formed the Northeast Women's Hockey League for the 2017-18 season * Category:NCAA Division III Conferences Category:Defunct Ice Hockey Leagues Category:Disestablished in 2017